SEWANEE, Tenn. –
Tyler Pinson hit a two-run homer and
Jake Walling worked four scoreless innings of relief before running into trouble in the ninth, with Hendrix plating the winning run on a bases-loaded walk in a 3-2 victory against Sewanee baseball Saturday in Conway, Ark.
The Tigers (9-5, 0-3 SAA) lost all three games in the series, two of them by one run in the bottom of the ninth. After Pinson's two-run shot in the first inning put the visitors on top early, the Warriors knotted the game with two runs in the second.
Sewanee managed a pair of baserunners in the fifth and sixth innings but those were the only threats the rest of the game.
Alden Wright and
Owen Andress both singled in the fifth before
Sebastian Leinberger popped out and
Blake Pou struck out.
In the sixth Pinson walked and
Will Jennewein singled with two outs before Wright bounced into a fielder's choice to end the inning. Pinson and Jennewein collected two hits apiece in a seven-hit attack for the Tigers.
Sewanee starter
Taj Donald worked four innings, giving up two runs on six hits with one walk and four strikeouts. He also stranded the bases loaded in the third before giving way to John Walling in the fifth.
Walling was in-and-out of trouble throughout his stint, inducing a doubleplay after a leadoff single in the fifth. In the sixth Charlie Deaton was hit by the pitch with two outs, stole second and went to third on a throwing error. Jake Blice walked and Hendrix tried a double steal but Leinberger's throw to the plate nailed the potential winning run.
Griffin Baird led off the seventh with a double and Shaun Pope was hit to start the seventh, but Walling got another grounder for a doubleplay to end the inning.
Hendrix finally broke through in the ninth after a leadoff double by Deaton and the runner moved to third on a sacrifice bunt. Sewanee intentionally walked Baird and Pope to set-up a force at every base and Drake Job struck out, trying to bunt with a full count that was fouled off. Walling then walked Owen Shaw, forcing in the winning run.
Walling (0-1) gave up one run on three hits with four walks and two strikeouts in 4.2 innings.
Hendrix starter Preston Tompkins gave up two runs on five hits with eight strikeouts in five innings. Rowwan Glover tossed two scoreless innings and Braxton Waller (2-0) picked up the win with two scoreless innings as well.
Pou walked with one out in the first and Pinson belted a two-run homer to left with two outs, giving the Tigers a 2-0 edge after a half inning.
The Warriors answered in the second inning after a one-out single by Hogan Ralston and a single down the leftfield line from Deaton. Both runners moved up on a bad pickoff throw and Blice's two-run single through the right side plated both, tying the game at two.
Donald escaped trouble in the third after singles by Shaw and Guthrie and a walk to Ralston, but Deaton flied out to end the inning.
Sewanee begins a Spring Break trip Tuesday with a 7 p.m. contest against Edgewood College at Wahoos Stadium in Pensacola, Fla.
